Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déraper

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déraper

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The English translation of the French verb déraper is “to skid” or “to slip.” It is pronounced as “day-ra-pay.”

Déraper comes from the Old French word “deraper,” which means “to slip.” It is most commonly used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action or situation in the past.

Here are three simple examples of déraper in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je dérape pour éviter l’accident. (I had to skid to avoid the accident.)
  2. Je craignais qu’il dérape sur la route mouillée. (I was afraid that he would skid on the wet road.)
  3. Si tu n’avais pas freiné, tu aurais pu déraper. (If you hadn’t braked, you could have skidded.)

Table of the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of déraper

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je dérapasse Si j’étais pilote, je dérapasse souvent. If I were a pilot, I would skid often.
tu dérapasses Si tu conduisais moins vite, tu dérapasses moins. If you drove slower, you would skid less.
il dérapât Il ferait plus attention s’il dérapât moins. He would pay more attention if he skidded less.
elle dérapât Elle serait plus prudente si elle dérapât moins. She would be more careful if she skidded less.
on dérapât Si on roulait sur la neige, on dérapât souvent. If one drove on the snow, one would skid often.
nous dérapassions Si nous étions aux commandes, nous dérapassions moins. If we were in control, we would skid less.
vous dérapassiez Si vous rouliez plus lentement, vous dérapassiez moins. If you drove slower, you would skid less.
ils dérapassent S’ils faisaient plus attention, ils dérapassent moins. If they paid more attention, they would skid less.
elles dérapassent Si elles étaient sur la piste, elles dérapassent facilement. If they were on the track, they would skid easily.

Other Conjugations for Déraper.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb déraper
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déraper
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déraper
   

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déraper
   

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déraper
   

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déraper
   

    Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déraper
   

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déraper

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déraper

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déraper

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déraper
   

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déraper (this article)

    Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déraper
   

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déraper
   

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déraper

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déraper

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déraper

    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
   

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Déraper – About the French Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense

The French Subjonctif Imparfait, also known as the imperfect subjunctive, is a verb tense used to express actions, states, or conditions that are uncertain, subjective, or hypothetical in the past. It is used in a variety of situations, including wishes, doubts, emotions, and polite requests, and often occurs in dependent clauses following certain expressions and conjunctions.

NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation

To form the Subjonctif Imparfait, you typically start with the third person plural (ils/elles) form of the verb in the imparfait (imperfect) tense. Then, you remove the -ent ending and add the appropriate endings:

– For regular -er verbs: je -sse, tu -sses, il/elle/on -t, nous -ssions, vous -ssiez, ils/elles -ssent.
– For regular -ir and -re verbs: je -sse, tu -sses, il/elle/on -t, nous -ssions, vous -ssiez, ils/elles -ssent.

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

1. Expressing Doubt or Uncertainty: The Subjonctif Imparfait is used to express doubt or uncertainty about something that happened in the past.

Example: Il doutait qu’elle vînt à la fête. (He doubted that she came to the party.)

2. Wishes and Desires: It is used to express wishes or desires in the past.

Example: J’aurais aimé que tu fusses là. (I would have liked you to be there.)

3. Hypothetical Scenarios: The Subjonctif Imparfait is employed in hypothetical situations in the past.

Example: Si j’eusse su, j’aurais agi différemment. (If I had known, I would have acted differently.)
4. Polite Requests and Suggestions: It is used to make polite requests and suggestions in a formal or polite tone.

Example: Il souhaitait que vous vinssiez lui rendre visite. (He wished that you would come to visit him.)

Interactions with Other Tenses

Subjonctif Présent

The Subjonctif Imparfait is often used in dependent clauses with the Subjonctif Présent in the main clause, especially in complex sentences.

Example: Il faut que tu manges bien pour que tu aies de l’énergie. (You need to eat well so that you have energy.)

Indicatif Passé Composé

The Subjonctif Imparfait can be used alongside the Indicatif Passé Composé to indicate a contrast between a factual event and a hypothetical one.

Example: Il est parti avant que tu ne fusses arrivé. (He left before you arrived.)

Conditional

The Subjonctif Imparfait is often used with the Conditional to express unreal or hypothetical situations in the past.

Example: J’aurais pu le faire si j’eusse eu plus de temps. (I could have done it if I had had more time.)

Conditional Perfect

It can also be used with the Conditional Perfect to express unreal or hypothetical past events that would have occurred before other past events.

Example: J’aurais su s’il eût partagé l’information. (I would have known if he had shared the information.)

Summary

The Subjonctif Imparfait is a relatively complex tense, and its usage depends on the context and the verbs involved. It is essential to practice and become familiar with common expressions and contexts where this tense is appropriate to use it effectively in everyday French communication.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb déraper. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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